jUsT a tHoUgHt cRoSsiNg mY MiNd...

I 've been having really cool times reading and taking time to do what I often have no time when we have so much work to do on the land...the main reason is because it has been raining "cats and dogs" (funny English expression) throughout the whole week... 

I don´t complain as it is very good for our trees and garden...and for us to take a rest... I love living with natural seasons, and in this region they are really pronounced...

A good thing to do on rainy days is to reply to some e.mails and read some good books... as Maren said, "when it rains, we get smarter"... 

One of the books I devoured , and I highly recommend it to anyone was the " Irresistible revolution "
by Shane Claiborne ...he seems to be one of those Christians who is really serious about following Jesus´ teachings, so most churches have problems with his ideas... That´s actually what makes me want to read his books... he was in Iraq during the war, to protest against it... he has been in jail for defending homeless people´s rights, as every christian should...

While he attended a prayer meeting with some Iraqi brothers and sisters (yes, there are Christians in Iraq), one bishop said to him "we will be praying for you. We will be praying for the church in the USA...to be the church"... 

We should be praying more for those who call themselves christians to be the church who follows Jesus´ teachings, and stand for what Jesus stood for :  Justice, Love, forgiveness, inclusion of all,etc... We should also pray that those who call themselves christians are not standing for what Jesus never stood for : war, use of any violence, segregation, hatred, prejudice, racism, white supremacy, colonialism, slavery, different sexual orientations, women who choose abortion, etc...

I often think about a passage in Hosea 4:1-9...

"1 Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites,
because the Lord has a charge to bring
against you who live in the land:
"There is no faithfulness, no love,
no acknowledgment of God in the land.
2 There is only cursing, lying and murder,
stealing and adultery;
they break all bounds,
and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 Because of this the land dries up,
and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea are swept away.

4 "But let no one bring a charge,
let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
who bring charges against a priest.

5 You stumble day and night,
and the prophets stumble with you.
So I will destroy your mother—

6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
"Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.

7 The more the priests increased,
the more they sinned against me;
they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.

8 They feed on the sins of my people
and relish their wickedness.

9 And it will be: Like people, like priests.
I will punish both of them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds."

I don't like when Christians "point the finger" to "the sinners" in this world and don´t look at their own faults, and participate in the unjust system we live in ...

Isn't it our fault? That there aren't more people concerned with justice, poverty and war? Aren't we, "God's priesthood" the ones to point the finger at?

Are we playing our role on earth? Are we taking care of the poor? Actually, are we living with the poor, as the poor? 
Are we seeking justice on earth? Are we not conformed to the patterns of this world?

Who do we think we are, to point our finger at anyone else?

we are not perfect I know... we'll surely never be in this existence... but are we willing to be broken, vulnerable, humble, gracious ,  transformed ? recognising our own failures and constant need of God's mercy and grace !
Who are we to blame but ourselves?

Didn't Jesus say to love our enemies? Look at Paul for instance... he killed a lot of christians and supported those who did the same... and Jesus went to pick him, and transformed him to be one who would protect with his own life those who followed the same Lord he did... After he had his eyes open he could not unsee anymore, and gave his life to show the light to many others... Do we still believe in redemption ? Even of the worst person that comes to our mind...

There was another quote from Shane's book I really liked...it was actually one of his friends who said: " 'Jesus never talked to a prostitute because he didn't see a prostitute. He just saw a child of God He was madly in love with'... When we have new eyes, we can look into the eyes of those we don't even like and see the One we love...we are free to imagine a revolution that sets both the oppressed and the oppressors free."

"The revolution begins inside each of us, and through little acts of Love, it will take over the world. Let us begin to be christians again. Jesus, give us the courage" (Shane Claiborne)

I'm left with this prayer:

I want to pray more... for myself, to be who you created me to be...

for the church to be the church...

and every spiritual enlightened person to be faithful to the path that was presented to them...

for this decaying world to be enlightened and redeemed ...

For us all to know the depths of your Grace...
Let your Kingdom come,
on Earth , as it is in Heaven.
Let your will be done.

Amen